College and College Prep

More and more students with learning disabilities are enrolling in college and universities. And more and more higher education institutions are offering support programs for students with LD. Here we’ve assembled information to assist in the planning and selection process, plus lots of advice on creating a successful post-secondary education experience.

In high school, LD-identified students are given the services they need. But in college, the students must be their own advocates. So along with checking out the cafeteria food, the student must check out the disability support services available. Check out some tips to help with evaluating the campus climate, and for choosing the environment you need.

At the age of majority (age 18-21 in most states), educational rights are transferred from parent to child. In special education, the child becomes responsible for IEP and graduation decisions. This article teaches parents to help their children make decisions. Young adults can discover how to use their new legal rights.

This article from PACER looks at some ways parents can help their teens explore interests through volunteer work, hobbies, or internships. Exploring these ideas makes transition to adult life easier and help youths decide which career path to take upon graduation.

If you are a high school student with an IEP who is trying to figure out whether to go to college or other post-secondary education, this article is for you. It tells you the options available and gives you guidance on how to use your IEP to prepare for them.

This article briefly reviews Section 504 and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 and identifies the criteria that are used to determine whether a student is both "disabled" and "qualified." Then, specific areas of admission, accommodation, and dismissal are examined. Finally, guidelines are presented that may be used by professors and administrators in their efforts to provide qualified students with disabilities with nondiscriminatory access to higher education.

The ability to conduct research is a critical skill that all students need to be college and career ready. Across the country, it is common for students from the elementary grades through high school to be required to carry out a research project in English Language Arts (ELA), social studies, history, or science.

Find the funds to go to college. Parents and potential students, read this guide authored by HEATH Resource Center, an online clearinghouse on postsecondary education for individuals with disabilities. Read about the basics of federal and private financial aid. Learn the important details of vocational rehabilitation, social security, and disability-specific funding sources.

Ellen Carter Woodbridge, a learning specialist, in the Disability Support services at The George Washington University in Washington, D.C. In 1999 she brought her skills to the Disability Seaport Services (DSS) program at GWU.

Ellen began working at GW in 1983 as an instructor in the English Department, and then became the Assistant Academic Coordinator for the Athletic Department.